The Overbored Magic Veggie Bus sits in a (nearly) empty Kedem lot.
Giando’s and the Williamsburg Bridge are in the background.

Despite all the talk of global economic meltdown and an incredible glut of condos in 11211 and 11222, there is still a hell of a lot of building going on in these parts. Not just developers playing out the string, hoping for a turnaround or a living, breathing rental market – actual projects getting underway, and actual holes in the ground being filled (by something other than seedballs).

Might Kedem Winery be added to this list? The Kedem parking lot is located just south of Broadway on Kent Avenue – next door to Giando and across from the old Right Bank. In the past few weeks, the parking lot has become noticeably emptier. Trucks that seemed to have taken root in the asphalt suddenly disappeared. Even the Overbored magic veggie bus (above), which took up residence here for the winter, is suddenly being worked on at a (relatively) frenetic pace.

Is this a sign that the owner of the property (Rector Hylan) is about to start construction? Not clear – as best as we can tell from the DOB records, no applications have been filed for new work. The property was subject to a rezoning application which went through the ULURP process in 2006. From the looks of DCP’s status list, it appears that the only thing standing between Rector Hylan and an R7 zoning is some paperwork.

If they ever file that paperwork, Rector Hylan will have a mixed-use project similar to Schaefer Landing (its next-door neighbor). The plan is for 450 apartments, about 90 of which (20%) would be affordable, in two towers of 18 and 24 stories each with connecting buildings in between. There would be commercial use along Kent, and a waterfront esplanade (which would continue the Schaefer esplanade).